Tag Archives: Occupy Chicago

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Cross-posted from: Kevin Gosztola Under cover of the night around twelve police cars stopped five journalists when they were heading back to where they are staying in Chicago during the NATO summit. All five have been covering protests against the NATO summit for the past few days. The five journalists included Luke Rudkowksi, who streams [...]

Chicago, IL - Early morning house raid in Bridgeport and harassment of activists indicates intolerance of free speech rights. The National Lawyers Guild (NLG) condemns a preemptive police raid that took place at approximately 11:30pm Wednesday in the Bridgeport neighborhood, and instances of harassment on the street, in which Chicago police are unlawfully detaining, searching, [...]

Occupy Minneapolis formally endorse and support the Occupy the Midwest Regional Conference on March 15-18, being hosted by OccupySTL. This is a chance for us to create new spaces to connect in; new ways to share knowledge, experience, resources, and to express our solidarity. Occupy the Midwest is committed to keeping the Occupy movement decentralized but believes that it will be for our mutual benefit to cooperate and connect with our fellow Occupy camps in a more organized manner.

The Event?

Following the Occupy structure of scheduled GAs and Teach-Ins but will also include music and entertainment. One of the main reasons for this event is to ramp up outreach and garner support from our midwestern brothers and sisters on our planned actions against the G8/NATO summit in Chicago, and the May 1st General Strike/Strike Solidarity actions called by many of our fellow Occupations.

Who is Impacted?

Specific working groups will not be committed to attend or support the event in any capacity but are invited to help coordinate and connect with this action. Many Occupations need advice on certain areas of housing, financial, etc. and this is an opportunity to strengthen the movement outside of our own city. Any and all committees are welcome to send delegates to this event. Many cities are already signed on and endorsed this event including Springfield, St. Louis, Chicago, Columbia, Omaha, Dayton, Madison, Milwaukee, and more.

Who is Responsible?

April Streich, Malia Burkhart, and doug sembla, have been working with Occupy the Midwest for a couple weeks, and will continue to participate in the planning. We would create a working group called InterOccupy that coordinates national events, communicates with other Occupy groups and updates the General Assembly if another city is reaching out to Minneapolis for support, action or other types of coordination. Concerning participatory obligation, none of the Occupy Minneapolis committees will be required to help in these efforts but can decide on their support based on their own committee-level decision process. All actions proposed by InterOccupy would follow the standard General Assembly approval process.

What is the Time Frame?

Organizing efforts have already begun. Occupy the Midwest holds weekly conference calls at 5pm on Fridays. On January 17th, Occupy Wall Street is hosting a conference call on our behalf to help coordinate our efforts and lend support. In the short-term, this will turn the InterOccupy group’s concentration toward the Midwest Regional Conference until March 15th. In the long-term, we would continue the effort to connect every Midwest town to help coordinate this movement.

What is the Expected Result?

An overall strengthening of our cause and a recommitment to each other. At a time where Occupy needs a stronger presence on the national stage, the Occupy the Midwest Regional Conference offers this opportunity. Our outreach will also keep in contact with other Minnesota Occupations and help us plan and support for national actions, such as the G8/NATO protests, and the May 1st General Strike/Strike Solidarity actions.

The first meeting for interested Occupiers will be announced this week. Stay tuned, and mark your calendars!

Monday October 10,2011
Illinois
Chicago
#OccupyChi

Image Credit: Phase II: Mobilization - occupychi.org

This is day 17 of Occupy Chicago, at the Federal Reserve Building at LaSalle & Jackson.

Greed, Corruption, and the destruction of our democratic process is why we are here. So stand strong with our brothers and sisters in New York and support a new tomorrow that is by the people, and for the people

There is someone in front of the Federal Reserve Bank building at Jackson and LaSalle 24/7.

Below is the list of the 12 proposed list of demands of Occupy Chicago, as of October 7,2011, as released by occupychi.org:

1.PASS HR 1489 REINSTATING GLASS-STEAGALL. – A depression era safeguard that separated the commercial lending and investment banking portions of banks. Its repeal in 1999 is considered the major cause of the global financial meltdown of 2008-2009.

2. REPEAL BUSH TAX CUTS FOR THE WEALTHY

3. FULLY INVESTIGATE AND PROSECUTE THE WALL STREET CRIMINALS who clearly broke the law and helped cause the 2008 financial crisis.

4.OVERTURN CITIZENS UNITED v. US. – A 2010 Supreme Court Decision which ruled that money is speech. Corporations, as legal persons, are now allowed to contribute unlimited amounts of money to campaigns in the exercise of free “speech.”

6. GIVE THE SEC STRICTER REGULATORY POWER, STRENGTHEN THE CONSUMER PROTECTION BUREAU, AND PROVIDE ASSISTANCE FOR OWNERS OF FORECLOSED MORTGAGES WHO WERE VICTIMS OF PREDATORY LENDING.

7.TAKE STEPS TO LIMIT THE INFLUENCE OF LOBBYISTS AND ELIMINATE THE PRACTICE OF LOBBYISTS WRITING LEGISLATION.

8. ELIMINATE RIGHT OF FORMER GOVERNMENT REGULATORS TO WORK FOR CORPORATIONS OR INDUSTRIES THEY ONCE REGULATED.

9. ELIMINATE CORPORATE PERSONHOOD.

10. INSIST THE FEC STAND UP FOR THE PUBLIC INTEREST IN REGULATING PRIVATE USE OF PUBLIC AIRWAVES to help ensure that political candidates ARE GIVEN EQUAL TIME for free at reasonable intervals during campaign season.

11. REFORM CAMPAIGN FINANCE WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE FAIR ELECTIONS NOW ACT (S.750, H.R. 1404).

12. FORGIVE STUDENT DEBT – The same institutions that gave almost $2T in bailouts and then extended $16T of loans at little to no interest for banks can surely afford to forgive the $946B of student debt currently held. Not only does this favor the 99% over the 1%, it has the practical effect of more citizens spending money on actual goods, not paying down interest.